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Visa guide for international students

Importance of this guide

An official document issued to authorise a person to enter a foreign country and stay there for a certain period of time is called Visa. There is a complex set of procedures and methods that are followed by the immigration authority of the host country to grant a visa to an individual. For all the students who wish to complete their higher education in a foreign land, you will require a student visa. The requirement of visa may differ from country to country. The problem is that most of the students around the world are not aware of the visa requirements and procedures that need to be followed. This is where guides like these come into play. Guides like these help the students who plan on continuing their education in a foreign country with all the queries that they may have regarding visas. This guide contains information about all the steps that go into the visa application. If a student is planning on studying in a country like USA, UK, Australia or any other international student hub of the world, then this guide is the most appropriate manual for him.

Who can consult this guide?

Millions of students apply for student visa every year, but only a few out of them secure a visa. The reason for this is the lack of knowledge about all the procedures and requirements for a student visa. This visa guide is the source of assistance for such students who wish to study in a foreign country but do not have the required information. The data and information that this guide contains have been collected from the most reliable of sources. Also, they are based on the latest requirements and guidelines issued by the best student hubs of the world.

How to use this guide?

It is very easy to use this guide. This guide deals with every possible problem that a student might face while applying for a visa. Moreover, there is a definite sequence followed in this guide. There are sections divided for different countries and there is a systematic division done to provide the best solutions to the problems of the students.

1. USA

The USA has always been one of the most popular destinations among the international students. One of the reasons is that it is home to some of the world’s best institutes. These institutes are globally reputed and have always been known for imparting the best quality of education to the students from all over the world. The students who wish to study in America are advised to apply for a visa as early as possible to avoid any complications and make sure that the visa gets issued before their date of departure to the USA. There are some guidelines that the students need to follow. It is imperative for the students to take permission from the respective institution in the United States before applying for the visa. The students need to fill in the form I-20 which includes their detailed information. This form is the Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Student Status and it needs to be filled by the students for the F-1, F-2, M-1 and M-2 visas. The student who needs J-1 or J-2 visas is required to fill the form DS-2019. When the respective college or the university sanctions the request of the student, it provides the approval documentation to the students. This is one of the first steps for getting a visa for the United States.

Basic Criteria

There are some basic conditions for the students to be eligible for the visa that has been regulated by the office of immigration. These are some of the conditions that all the students who aspire to study in the US should fulfill:

The student must obtain clearance from the US citizenship and immigration services.

The student must get himself properly enrolled in the academic program.

The student must be proficient in the English language. Even if he is not proficient in the language, he should have no problem understanding it.

The student must fulfil all the requirements that the respective visa status asks of him.

The student should have sufficient funds to meet the cost or the fee for the respective academic programs and the residential expenses as well.

Various types of US Student Visas

There are various options for the students who wish to pursue their higher education in the US. Any student who wishes to do so must have a valid visa before entering America unless he is from a visa exempted country. The visa is obtained from the United States Diplomatic Missions of the respective country. There are four kinds of visas that the US authority provides to its students. The visa for a student depends on the course, curriculum and the duration of a student’s stay. These visas are:

F Visa

F Visa is the most common visa document that is issued to all the international students and the non-immigrant students who come to the United States of America to pursue their higher education. The US embassies and consulates that are situated outside America are authorised to issue this visa. This F-visa is further divided into several categories:

F-1 Visa: This visa is issued to all the students who study full-time in the United States.

F-2 Visa: This visa is issued to the children and the spouses of the students who hold the F-1 visa. These people are referred to as dependents.

F-3 Visa: This visa is issued to the students who stay in their own country but act as border commuters and come to America to study. These visas are usually granted to the citizens of Mexico and Canada.

It is imperative for the students who seek to attend high school or university level education to have an F-1 visa. The F01 visa holders can work on-campus, but to get a job outside the campus, they need to have prior permission from the authorities. Also, the persons who hold an F-2 visa can also enroll themselves in graduation and high school programs but they also need to take necessary permission from the concerned authorities before enrolling themselves.

M-1 Visa

This visa is meant for the students who need to attend the vocational and technical schools in America. Before applying for the visa, the students should make sure that they furnish the form I-20 to the US embassy. This form serves as the proof that the applicant student has fulfilled all the requirements that are necessary for the vocational training. The spouses or the dependants of the M-1 visa holders get the M-2 visa. The duration of this kind of visa ranges up to one year and this duration can only be extended because of medical reasons. The students who hold the M-1 visa cannot work in America and they cannot even change the visa status. The status can only be exchanged in some exceptional situations.

J-1 Visa

This type of visa is issued to the research scholars, professors and the exchange visitors. It is a special form of the non-immigrant visa. This type of visa is specially issued to the people who come to America for programs like medical courses, business training and cultural training. The dependants who accompany these visa holders receive the J-2 visa. It is imperative for the students to fill in the form DS-2019, be proficient in the English language and the program that the student has chosen must be sponsored by a recognized authority. The best part about this visa program is that the holders can stay in America for an additional one month after the exhaustion of their approved duration. This 30-day period can is known as a grace period.

How to Apply?

All the applications for the student visas are dealt by the US Consulates or the US embassies. There are a certain number of steps that the students need to follow. These steps may differ from country to country. They can even differ from consulate to consulate and even the applicants. These steps are:

1. Enrollment in the SEVIS

SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. The students who apply for higher education in the universities in the USA, they need to enroll themselves in SEVIS through the authorized website. When the application of the student is accepted, he is supposed to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. Also, after the acceptance of the application, the student gets the Form I-20 from the respective institution which needs to be submitted by the student to the consular officer within a set limit.

2. Filling up the DS-160 form

It is important for the students to choose the correct visa category according to the stated norms. The non-immigrant visa applicants should determine the visa type they are entitled to apply for according to these norms. Once they choose the correct visa category, they need to complete the DS-160 form. This form is the Non-immigrant Visa Electronic Application form. Also, the student should make sure that once they fill it, they keep the printed confirmation and bring it for the interview. It is also imperative that the students fill this form accurately and all that the information that they fill in is absolutely authentic. Since this form is so important, it is advised that the students consult the guidelines for completing the DS-160 form. These guidelines include all the personal details, passport details, background and health information with a recent photograph uploaded.

Also, the US immigration authority updates all the requirements from time to time. So, it is better that the students check all the requirements precisely. Things like the format and size of the photograph must be taken care of. Since this form is submitted online, once you have filled it, there can be no changes made. So, it is imperative that you fill in all the details correctly.

3. Payment of Visa Fee

Once the DS-160 form is submitted, the next step is the payment of the Visa Fee. This fee confirms the application and this fee is non-transferrable and non-refundable. When the fee is paid successfully, an automated receipt gets generated and the student is issued a specific date and time for the visa appointment interview.

4. Confirming the Visa Appointment

Once the student gets the receipt for the successful payment of the visa fee, the student needs to log in their profile. In the dashboard, there is an option of scheduled appointment. Once the student clicks on it, the process of scheduling the appointment starts. The students need to go through two appointments. One of these appointments is at the visa application center and the other one is at the US embassy or the US consulate. The first appointment is meant for the fingerprints and the photo of the applicant. The next appointment is meant for the final visa interview.

5. Visa interview:

Although it is the final step, it is necessary for the students to have accomplished the visa center appointment. Also, the students should make sure that they reach the embassy or the consulate on time for the final appointment because if they fail to do so, they may have to go through the entire procedure again. Moreover, children below the age of 14 and adults above the age of 79 are generally exempted from this interview. The students should also bring all the necessary documents.

Required documents:

Following are the mandatory documents that the students are required to bring to the final appointment:

A passport with a validity of more than six months beyond the required period of stay in America.

The confirmation of the DS-160 form and the confirmation of the appointment.

SEVIS I-901 fee receipt and documents.

Other supporting documents according to the category of visa.

The last mandatory document is the photograph if the uploading of the photograph had failed during the submission.

Additional documents:

Certificates of academics received from school and college and the statement of marks of the public examinations.

Identity proofs and the documentary evidence of the fact that the applicant will return to the home country after the completion of the respective course.

Evidence of financial stability or sponsorships to meet the expense of the courses with the original bank statements.

Proofs if the student is selected through merit examinations organized by the American institutions.

The respective consular officer in the department evaluates all these documents individually. Therefore, the students are advised to provide absolutely authentic information in all these documents. It is important for the students to realize the intensity of submission of any false information. If someone submits any false information, it might result in permanent ineligibility to receive USA visa. There are several other factors that the officer looks into. If the officer and the authority decide to deny the visa application, the grounds of the visa denial are discussed in proper section.

Visa extension

There are many situations in which the students need to extend their stay in the country. Although every form of visa has an extension with it, there are times when this extension might not prove to be sufficient for the applicant.

If the student needs to extend their visa in the USA, they need to file their request to the concerned citizenship and immigration services through the form I-539. However, it is necessary that the student needs to fill this form and submit it to the concerned authority before their visa tenure expires. If the visa duration expires, the request will not be entertained by the authorities. In fact, the authority advises the students to apply for the extension at least 45 days before the visa expiration.

There are certain conditions which need to be met for the extension to be sanctioned. These are:

The passport should remain valid until the intended period of stay.

During the period for which the student has stayed in the US, the student should not have broken any rules or conditions of admission in the country.

The reason for the extension should be on the grounds of medical issues or the deferral, of course, to be pursued.

Moreover, the students who are in America under the Visa waiver program are not entitled to the visa extension.

English Language Proficiency

All the students must have a strong understanding of the English language. The understanding of the student of the language will be judged on the basis of their result in TOEFl iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test), PTE (Pearson Test of English), CAE (Certificate in Advanced English).

Character Certificate

Applicants with the assessment level 1 and 2 are not required to produce a character certificate, but the students with lower assessment levels must provide a character certificate during the interview. This certificate serves as a proof that the students have a record absolutely free from any criminal and fraudulent activities. The students can obtain this certificate from the institution that they attended or from the police station. Also, along with these qualifications, the students are required to provide the below-mentioned documents:

A hard copy of the Visa application form and the details of their submission.

Passport with a validity of more than six months from the termination of the course.

Birth certificate, identity proof and other personal documents.

Passport size photographs.

Electronic confirmation of the enrollment from the education provider.

Work documents, academic certificates and statement of marks.

Evidence of financial stability to bear the costs and expenses of the course in the USA.

The applicants might be asked to produce any other relevant documents as per the decision of the concerned consular officer or according to their assessment level. The fee of the student visa depends on the subclass of visa, the age of the student and the duration of the stay and also the home country. The basic application charge is $550. For the students who are above 18, the fee is $410 and for a minor, it is $135. However, these charges tend to change with time. Therefore, it is advised to consult the visa fee structure while applying for the visa.

Health Insurance

It is also necessary that the students must be covered under a health insurance. The applicants should take the insurance from certified and authorized insurance providers only. Along with the insurance, the student must possess good health during the time the visa is allotted.

2. Australia

Australia has always been one of the top destinations for education in the entire world. Every year, millions of students dream of going to Australia to pursue their higher education and thousands of them actually live this dream. It is very important for every aspiring student o to know all about the visa formalities. The students who wish to study in Australia need to apply for a visa to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship of Australia or DIAC. This is an office that is in direct control of the federal government of the country. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship of Australia especially operates an Overseas Student Program (OSP). Through this program, the students who are not residents of Australia can seek residence in the country for studying there. The visa is granted to the students only if they avail for themselves a registered and full-time course. By registered course, it is meant that the course should be a learning or training course offered by an Australian institution which is certified by the government. The students who wish to study in Australia must know that the entire education system of Australia is divided into four tiers:

Primary

Secondary

Vocational education

Training and higher education

Also, there are some conditions that a student must fulfill before the application procedure for the visa starts. These conditions are:

The student must hold a good character and there should be no criminal record against him.

The applicant must not have any form of debts in Australia.

At the time of application, the student must have a sound health.

The student must avail an Overseas Student Health Cover issued by a verified insurance provider.

It is mandatory for the student to fulfill all these requirements before the application process starts.

Types of Student Visas

There are separate subclasses of visa divided by the Australian Student Visa regulation on the basis of the educational sector and the course. It is imperative for the students to apply in the appropriate subclass based on the course of study.

Subclass 570 (Independent ELICOS)

ELICOS is an acronym for English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students. The students who take up these courses have to apply for this form of visa.

Subclass 571

This subclass is meant for the students who apply to pursue their education in the Australian schools. The students who want to apply for primary schooling, secondary school course or an approved secondary school exchange program in Australia get an Australian visa with subclass 571.

Subclass 572 (VET)

This subclass of visas is meant for the students who apply for Vocational Education and Training (VET). These courses cover the I, II, III and IV Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses.

Subclass 573

This is the most common subclass in the Australian visa system. This subclass is meant for the students who wish to pursue a bachelor degree, associate degree, graduate certificate or a graduate diploma in Australia. This is the reason that this subclass has the highest number of applications processed every year.

Subclass 574

This subclass is meant for the students who wish to pursue a masters or Ph. D. degree in Australia. Many students apply to the renowned universities of Australia to get admission in a masters course. This form of visa allows the students to pursue master’s, research programs and doctoral degrees in different subjects. Also, the students should note that some post-graduation programs may fall under the subclass 573. Therefore, it is advised to the students to consult the authorities before applying for a visa.

Subclass 576

This type of visa is meant for the students who apply in the Australian institutions for admission into special courses on global issues and their solutions. The course should be full-time and the student should not have any other engagement at the time. Generally, these type of courses is sponsored by the federal government for the students from developing countries.

Assessment level

Each of the visa applications received by the DIAC department is reviewed on the basis of their individual merit. Also, the authority has divided the review process into assessment levels in order to simplify the process and also provide fast services to the students. Moreover, this division of the process into assessment levels makes the process transparent because the students realize their position at every step of the way. Although there are five assessment levels for the students, the applications of the prospective students are divided into three levels. These levels are AL 1, AL 2 and AL 3. The immigration risk of the students is taken into consideration while determining the assessment level. If a student gets AL 1, it means that he has the lowest immigration risk and the students with AL 3 have the highest immigration risk. Al 4 and AL 5 assessment levels are awarded to the students in the case of some extreme circumstances. When a student gets AL 4 or AL 5, it means that they have the highest immigration risk and also that they have the highest chances of visa rejection. These assessment levels can also be considered as statistical indicators because the students of every country are assigned separate assessment levels after taking all the factors and qualifications into consideration. Country of residence, pursuing the course and educational sector are three of the most important factors that are taken into consideration by the authorities for determining the assessment level.

The students with the lowest assessment level are required to submit minimum documents and evidence. On the other hand, the student who gets the assessment level AL 3 need to submit the maximum number of evidence to support their claims of studying in Australia. However, the assessment level awarded to a student is not final. The authorities do a risk assessment from time to time. Therefore, the assessment level can change. If the spouse of the student or some other family member comes with the student to Australia, he gets the same assessment level as the student.

Streamlined Student Visa Processing

Under this processing, the student is considered to have the least immigration risk and they are not assigned any assessment level. The entire process is continued with this assumption only. However, every student is not considered eligible for streamlined student visa processing. There are some requirements that a student needs to follow to be eligible for this. These are:

The applicant should come through the participating education provider.

At the time of the visa application, the student should have with him the confirmation of the enrollment.

The student must have applied for a registered course from the participating university.

It is imperative for the student to not combine the non-award university exchange programs with the preliminary programs.

However, the students who are sponsored by the Australian government are not eligible for this kind of processing and they need to go through the usual method of application.

Application process

Once the course module and the institution are decided, it is time for the student to apply for the admission to college or university. There are two ways for the student to apply:

Directly to the education provider

This method is fairly simple. All that the student has to do is download the application form of the institution and submit it to the college or university with all the necessary details, documents and information.

Through an Australian agent

All the institutions of Australia have a number of admission agents. The students can also send their applications to one of these agents with all the documents required.

Once the application is accepted by the institution, the student receives a formal letter of offer. This letter serves as a formal contract between the student and the college and it includes all the details ranging from enrollment conditions, the fee payable and all the other details about the course etc. Once the college pays the fee to the college, he receives an Electronic Confirmation of Enrollment (ECOE). The student should keep this electronic confirmation with him for checking purposes in the future. Once the admission in the respective college is confirmed, the student can start with their visa application process. They can start the process by following these steps:

The student needs to login to the website through their personal profile. If the student does not have it, he can create his own account.

The applicant is prompted to fill the form 157A for the application of the temporary student visa. If the student wants to work along with their studies, he needs to fill the Form157P.

The applicants must add all the required information with their form. All the forms with missing data have more chances of facing rejection. Even if these forms do not get rejected, they take longer to get finalized.

The applicant also needs to attach supporting documents with the form to complete the admission process.

Tracking the application

Once the applicant has submitted the application, they need to keep a track of it. Since the entire application procedure is online, the applicant can not only keep a track of the application but can also manage the profile. They can attach the supporting documents, change the information such as passport details and also change the email id in use for communication.

Once an applicant has submitted the application with all the required information and documents, he receives Transaction Reference Number (TRN). With the help of this number, the student can check the visa entitlements and also he can come to know the time when he needs to communicate with the authorities for the visa interview.

Genuine Temporary Entrant

In 2011, the Australian government introduced a special measure called the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement. This serves as an integrity measure that is meant to ensure that only the genuine candidates and applicants receive the Australian visa. The main purpose of the government behind introducing this measure was to prevent all the applicants who wish to visit the country with other intentions rather than to receive a top quality education. It is the job of the consular officer to evaluate this test during the visa interview. Some of the things that officer considers are:

The applicant’s immigration history.

The applicant has a genuine eagerness and intent to study in Australia. The officer should believe that the student does not aim to permanently reside in the country.

The present circumstances of the applicant’s family and the home country.

If the applicant is below 18 years of age, then his parents’ intention is evaluated.

Visa Interview

After all, this is accomplished, the last step of this process is the Visa interview. It is important that the applicant reaches the venue of the interview on the scheduled day on time. These visa interviews generally take place in the embassies and the consulates of Australia. It is necessary for the students to provide evidence and documents according to their assessment level in the interview. The students must qualify for the following:

Visa extension in Australia

Only temporary visas are issued by the Federal government of Australia. These visas allow the students to stay in the nation for a certain period of time. The duration of the stay in Australia is determined by according to the duration of the course that the applicant wishes to pursue. However, there can be many reasons due to which the student may need to increase the tenure of his visa. It is important for the student to apply for visa extension before the expiration of the visa term. The applicant can receive an extension due to following reasons:

If he has to pursue some further studies.

If the present course is not complete.

Holiday or tourism

Work

To procure the visa extension, the applicant can apply online, by post or through appointment. With the application, the applicant must attach the validation of the extension from the concerned institution. Also, it is necessary that the student extends his health coverage. Once the student pays the required amount, he receives a confirmation of the extension.

If the student has the ‘Further stay restricted’ clause in their present visa, he is not eligible for the visa extension. Also, if a student applies for visa extension after the expiration of the present term, the application is not entertained. In fact, if the matter becomes too serious, the applicant might even lose the opportunity to visit Australia again.

3. UK

United Kingdom has widely been recognized as the second most desired destination among all the international students after the USA. This ranking is highly justified with the United Kingdom being home to some great institutions like Oxford and Cambridge. Universities such as these two are recognized throughout the world for imparting the best quality of education. Thousands of students all around the world dream of getting admission to these colleges. For that, they need to have a valid UK visa.

All the matters related to visa are handled by the UK government’s home office. If the student belongs to EEA (European Economic Area) or if he is a Swiss National, he does not need any permission from the UK government to enter the country and stay there for three months. However, natives of these regions also need to get their stay authorized by the government if they wish to reside in the UK more than the allowed period. However, all the students who do not belong to these two regions need to procure a valid visa before entering the country.

There are some general requirements that the students need to accomplish before applying for the visa. Here are these requirements:

The student should have already been accepted and he should have received an admission letter for the respective course.

The applicants must be proficient in British English. On the basis of the course and the native country, a student might even be asked to take an English Language Test. It is important for the applicants to be comfortable to read, write and understand the English language.

The applicants need to obtain a European Health Insurance card if they belong to the European Economic Area. If they are from the other countries, then they need to obtain a complete health cover which is known as Comprehensive Sickness Insurance (CSI) from an authorized insurance company. Also, it is necessary that the insurance terms covers the entire visa tenure.

When all the general visa requirements are fulfilled, the next step is the identification of the proper visa type.

Types of Visas:

There are three forms of visas provided by the UK government to the applicants who wish to study in the country. These are:

Short-Term visa

As the name suggests, this type of visa is meant for the students who wish to pursue a short course in the country. If the applicant is below 18 years of age, then he can get a visa for a maximum period of 6 months and if the applicant is above 18 years of age, he can get a visa for a maximum period of 11 months. The students who are eligible for the British citizenship cannot apply for a short-term visa. They have to apply for a proper citizenship and nationality. As the short term visa can only be 11 months long, the tenure of the courses undertaken by the students has to be within this limit only. Moreover, within this time limit, the students are not authorised to enroll in a full-time course in any college or university. Also, such students are also barred from working in the country or carrying out any business.

Eligibility criteria:

The applicants are eligible for the short-term visas in the UK only if:

They have got admitted to a certified short-term course in the UK. The course should have a proper accreditation.

They can provide enough evidence of the fact that they can bear the costs and expenses of the course and stay in the UK.

If the applicant is below 18 years of age, the parents will be required to accompany him and make arrangements for the residence in the UK.

The applicants are allowed for research and training if they are already enrolled in a recognized degree course.

However, there can be some more eligibility criteria that a student might need to accomplish in order to be eligible for the visa.

Documents required:

Passport with valid travel identification

Photographs according to the stipulated dimensions

Bank statements for the last six months

A health certificate

Admission letter and other documents about the course.

Identity proofs and other academic certificates of school and college.

Contact details of parents and guardian (for minor students)

The students who are below 18 years of age will be accompanied by the parent/guardian. These students need to take additional documents to the visa interview. The visa consular officer will need all the details of the guardian or parent who takes the responsibility of the minor student in the foreign country. All the students, except the students from North Korea, are required to apply online. The students from North Korea are required to apply three months before the date of travel. Usually, the visa process gets completed within three weeks.

Fee

For six months- £85 For eleven months -£ 162

Tier Four Child Student Visa

Many students around the world also look to complete their high school education in the UK. Sometimes, when the parents of a student get transferred to this country, it becomes important for the student to complete the rest of his formal education in the UK itself. The Tier Four Child Student Visa is allotted to the students between the age of four and seventeen. However, if the minor student belongs to EEA or Switzerland, he doesn’t require any visa or official permission.

These students are also entitled to study at an independent school. Moreover, it becomes easier for the students to get this visa if they have already placed themselves in the curriculum. Again, the tenure of the visa depends on the length of the course to be pursued. The students who are below 16 years of age are eligible for a visa of up to 6 years and an additional 4 months grace period. The students who are above 16 years of age are eligible for a visa of up to 3 years and a grace period of four months. These students are also allowed to work part-time for a maximum time of 10 hours a week,

Eligibility

It is imperative for the students who seek this form of visa to have an offer of a place in a certified course. The parents of the minor students must be able to show evidence of their ability to support the child for his stay in the country. Also, it is important that the course that the student is going to pursue is taught according to the guidelines of the national curriculum, independent school education inspection standards and the National qualification and credit framework. If the student is taking admission in an institute situated in Northern Ireland or Scotland, then it is important that the course is certified by the authorities of the country. The institute or the respective education provider sends a reference number to all its prospective students.This number serves as the confirmation of the acceptance of admission in the school or institute. This number, called CAS is required at the time of filling up the application form for a visa.

Documents required

These are the documents that the applicants of Tier 4 Child Student visa need to show:

Passport and travel documentation

Digital photographs according to the prescribed dimensions.

Proof of parental content

Tuberculosis test results along with the other health certificates

Age proof

Moreover, since the parents of the applicants will accompany the students to the country, therefore, they are also required to provide all their details. One of the biggest responsibilities that they have in this matter is to provide evidence of their financial stability.

For all the students except the students from North Korea, this form of visa is processed online. The students also have the option of extending their visa, but only if they apply on valid grounds. The students are advised to apply for the visa at least 90 days of travel to the UK. Under the standard procedure, the visa is processed within three weeks. Also, the students are allowed to arrive in UK fifteen days before the commencement of the formal course.

Fee

For all the students who apply for this form of visa from outside the country, the fee is 322 pounds. The students are also required to pay an additional health surcharge which is decided by the consular officer.

Tier 4 General Student Visa

This form of visa is meant for all the students who wish to pursue their higher education in the UK. This is the most common form of visa as thousands of students apply to the colleges in the UK for graduation, post-graduation and doctoral level courses. All the students who are above 18 years of age are eligible for this kind of visa. The students can apply three months before the commencement of their course and under standard procedure, they can procure their visa within a time period of three weeks. This visa allows the students to study in any institute in the UK and it also gives them the right to work in the country. It is imperative for the students to have a place confirmed in the course that they wish to pursue. Also, they should be able to read, write and understand British English. Under some circumstances, the students can even get permission to pursue additional learning courses during their time in the country. The tenure of the visa depends on the duration of the course. However, generally, the students are not allowed to stay in the country for more than three years.

Eligibility

Along with the general qualifications, there are some distinct criteria according to the module of the course that the students need to qualify. However, the basic eligibility criteria remain almost same:

A confirmation of acceptance from the college in the desired course.

Evidence of financial stability or sponsorships to meet the costs of the course.

The course that the student plans to pursue should be a full-time course with at least 25 hours of study per week.

The course should have a rating of at least 6 from the National Qualifications Framework.

For the students who plan to pursue post-graduation, it is important to provide the evidence of graduation from a recognized institute.

The applicants whose native language is English do not need to provide any proof of their knowledge of the English language. However, it is important that they pass the English language test conducted at the consulate of High Commission.

Documents required

These are the documents that the applicants need to provide:

Passport sized colour photographs with the name written on the reverse side.

Certificate of fitness. Also, it is important that the applicant is not suffering from any communicable disease.

Bank statement with all the transactions of the last six months.

Passport with the validity of at least six months more than the expected period of stay in the UK.

Statement of marks and other academic certificates.

However, since all the applications are processed individually, an applicant might be asked to provide some more documents as well. Also, these documents may vary with the country of residence and prospective course,

It is important that the students check all the guidelines available on the website. Doing so will help the students as the procedure of procuring the visa is changed frequently in order to adhere to all the laws of immigration. Al the applications of this form of visa are processed online and the students get the permission to take their parents or spouse with them. They need to provide evidence of their financial ability to bear the expenses of the course.

Fee

The fee for the Tier 4 General Student Visa is 322 pounds. However, if the student decides to take a family member along with them, they need to pay additional 322 pounds. Also, the applicants need to pay a healthcare surcharge.

Application for visa and interview

All the information given above helps the applicants to decide the type of visa they are entitled to. Once the student decides on the type of visa, the student or the guardian (in case of minors) need to log on to the UK government’s website for student visas and immigration to apply online.

Here are the steps that the students need to follow:

Step 1:

The first step is filling up the relevant form and submitting it with the scanned copies of all the required documents. The applicants are advised to check the form once they have filled it for any mistake because the incomplete forms and forms with false information are rejected at once. Once this is done, the applicant receives a date of appointment from the office.

Step 2:

The students should reach the application centre at least half hour before the scheduled time. All the applicants are assigned a token number according to their application number.

Step 3:

In this step, the consular officer checks all the documents and the information and the entire application of the student. If sanctioned, the applicant receives an acknowledgment receipt.

Step 4:

In this step, the office scans and enrolls digital prints of all the ten fingers and the photograph and the retina scan.

Step 5:

Once this entire procedure is completed, the student receives all the original documents. The status of the application is informed by mail or SMS.

Visa extension

All the students other than the students with the short term visas are eligible to extend their visa. The students can apply for visa extension when they need to stay back in the country for further studies, repetition of previous exams or any medical treatment. It is imperative for the students to apply for the extension before the term expires. There are two processes through which the extension is approved. These processes are:

Standard:

The applications are sent by the applicants online or by post (in some cases). Usually, the applications are approved or disapproved within 4-8 weeks. For the extension, the applicants are required to pay an amount of 439 pounds.

Premium

As the name suggests, this is a special service under which the application is processed on the same day. In some cases, it can take another working day. For this, the student needs to be present in the inquiry office. The students need to pay 839 pounds to avail this service.

4. CANADA

Canada is another country that is very popular among the pool of international students. it has developed as one of the most desired destinations for education among the international students in the last decade. The country has developed the reputation of a great study destination because of the prestigious institutes that it houses. While all the other major study destinations offer student visas to the students, Canada offers Student permits to the applicants. The students who need to stay in Canada for a course whose duration is less than six months do not need any student permit. However, the students are advised to seek authorization. The applicants can apply online or offline. The Department of Citizenship and Immigration of Canada is the authority that oversees all the matters related to visa. The students should note that the offline applications take more time to process than the online applications. The applicants are advised to visit the visa application centre of the country if they face any kind of problem.

General requirements:

There are some general requirements that the students need to fulfill to become eligible for the student permit. These requirements are:

The students need to provide a letter of acceptance from the education provider or institute. This letter serves as the evidence of the fact that the student has secured a place in the respective course. If the applicants desire to study in Quebec, which is a province in Eastern Canada, then they need a similar letter from the Government of Quebec as well.

Before submitting the application for the student permit, the students (depending on their native country) may need to obtain a health certificate. The certificate should state that the student is free from all the types of communicable diseases and the applicants also need to be declared fit by the authorized practitioner of the Government of Canada.

The applicants need to present evidence of their financial ability to meet the expenses of the courses and their stay in Canada. If they are sponsored by someone, then they will be required to furnish all the related details.

The students need to clear an English proficiency test. This test is conducted by some centers authorized by Immigration department of Canada.

For all the students, it is mandatory to obtain a Police clearance certificate from the local authority. Canada does not allow any person with any sort of criminal record in the past to enter the country.

Students who get the student permit are allowed to study only in the colleges which are enlisted in the Designated Learning institution list. So, it is only fitting that before confirming the application, the students check that their education provider is enlisted in this list or not. However, the students who come to Canada to pursue primary or secondary education do not need such checking. They can study in any school.

Electronic Travel Authorization

Electronic Trave Authorization is a new requirement that was recently introduced by the Canada government. This requirement is mandatory for all the applicants except the US residents. This requirement is meant for all those students who travel to Canada through the flight. ETA is a paperless document attached with the passport and it ensures that the applicant has achieved and satisfied all the requirements to visit Canada as a temporary resident. The students are not required to pay any fees to obtain ETA.

Work Permit

There are many requirements that the students need to fulfill to work in the country along with their studies. The applicants need to apply for the student work permit separately at the time of filling the visa application form only. For the on-campus jobs, the students do not need any permission from the authority. But it is necessary that the employer of the on-campus jobs is from the college or from a private hire that operates within the campus of the college. But if the applicants want to work off-campus, then it becomes mandatory for them to take permission from the authority. There are some requirements and conditions that the students need to meet for working off-campus:

The student must be 18 or more years old.

The duration of the course that the student is pursuing should be more than six months long.

The college that the student has enrolled himself in should be enlisted in the list of Designated Learning Institution colleges and universities.

During the regular academic sessions, the students are not allowed to work more than 20 hours a week. During the vacations, the students are allowed to work full-time.

It is necessary that the students maintain a healthy attendance in the course during the work.

The students who are following a learning course in English language or French language are not allowed to work anywhere. However, if the course requires them to work as an intern or on a vocational program or a co-op program, then they can do so.

Applying for a student permit

The government of Canada has established their centers in every country and these centers are authorised to provide the student permit to the prospective students. The entire process involves a number of steps. Given below are all the steps that a student needs to follow:

Documents

The applicants can apply either online or through the post. Both the modes require the students to arrange all the necessary documents. These documents are needed at the time of the submission. These documents are necessary as if any student fails to provide any mandatory document, the application gets rejected. Here are the mandatory documents:

Family information of the applicant.

Application for a study permit

Application of the temporary resident visa

Marriage certificate (if applicable)

Letter of acceptance from the Institute

Certificate of a medical examination conducted by panel practitioners

Statement of marks, academic certificates and other documents

Details of financial support or the sponsorship details

If the applicant intends to study in Quebec, then he needs to get the permission from Quebec administration

Confirmation of payment of visa fee

According to the native country, the student might be asked to furnish other documents as well. Also, it is important that all these documents are in English language or French language. If they are in any other language, the student is required to provide the authorized translation of the documents to the consular. Along with these documents, the student also needs to provide a valid passport and passport sized photographs.

Step 2: The application

Once all the documents have been produced by the candidate, the next step is filling the application. The applicants are required to fill a number of forms and therefore, this process can prove to be a little tedious. The applicants are required to create an account in their name on the website and this account is used to take the procedure forward. The forms that all the students need to complete are:

Application for Temporary Resident Visa

Application for a study permit

Family Information form

Use of representative form (if applicable)

Application for the guardian or the accompanying member (if applicable)

Statutory declaration of common law union (if applicable)

The students should make sure that they fill these forms with precision. Incomplete forms may result in a delay in the process. Before filling the forms, it is advised that the students check all the guidelines on the website. The students should make sure that they fill in the accurate information. Any sort of false information can result in the cancellation of the application. In fact, it can lead to permanent ban of the student from applying for a Canadian visa. Due to all the formalities, the students may find it difficult to fill the form. The students can download the form, fill it and then upload all the documents. Also, the website gives the students the option to save the form and then continue by logging in again.

After all this, the students need to certify that the information that they have provided is authentic and true to the best of their knowledge.

Step 3: Payment of fees

When the applicant completes the form, the next thing to do is the submission of the form. The applicants need to send the form to the office which is mentioned in the application. If the applicant submits it online, he receives a unique number which is used to make the payment. The fee is comprised of the application processing fee and the biometric charges. These payments are made in Canadian dollars only.

The application processing fee and the biometric fee is $150 and $85 respectively.

Once the fee is paid, it cannot be refunded. The applicants should take the receipt. Once the applicants pay the fee, they receive a scheduled date for the interview. If they submit the form at the application centre, they are notified of the date at the centre itself.

Step 4: Interview and application process

At the Visa Application Centre, the officers evaluate all the applications one by one. If the officers find the forms appropriate, then they are granted permission for the interview. After this, the student is interviewed on the specified day along with all the documents. If the concerned authorities get satisfied with the appeal of the applicant, then the student permit is granted.

Once all this is done, the student is required to provide biometric details of all the 10 fingers, photograph and their retina scan. However, in some cases, the students may not even require appearing for an interview if the officers find their application absolutely perfect.

The processing time of the application varies from country to country. If the applicant is a native of Ghana or Tunisia, then the processing can take up to eight weeks. On the other hand, for a native of India, the processing takes around three weeks only.

The students whose application gets rejected have the option of applying again and ask the personnel to review the decision. Moreover, the decision for the rejection of the application is deeply discussed in the denial section.

Step 5: Arrival

When the student arrives in Canada, the last and final step is for the student to show the letter of introduction and temporary resident visa in the immigration panel of the airport. The officer at this place decides whether the students meet all the requirements for entry into Canada.

Extending the student visa permit

All the students are allowed to extend their student visa permit only if they apply for it at least 30 days before the expiration of the current visa permit. The students are allowed to apply online and offline both.

5. Singapore

One of the most prominent study destinations in the Asian continent is the country Singapore. Over the last few years, Singapore has seen a steady increase in the number of international students. Some of the universities in the country are ranked among the top 50 institutes in the world. Singapore has been recognized as a country that offers a great quality of education at all levels to the students who study in this vibrant country.

To study in this country, the students need to obtain the visa which is called Student’s pass. All the foreign students need this Student Pass if they want to study in Singapore. However, the students are exempted if:

They hold the Immigration Exemption Order

They hold a short visitor term and they wish to pursue a course less than 30 days,

They hold a Dependent’s cardholder studying in an institution registered in MSF (Ministry of Social and Family Development)

The person visits Singapore for an internship that lasts for less than a month.

The requirements and procedure for obtaining the Student’s pass vary with the prospective course of study. Here are some general requirements that the applicants need to meet in order to obtain the Student’s pass from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA).

The candidate should apply to pursue a full-time course at a recognized institution. Also, the institute must authenticate the application when produced before the ICA.

The applicant must not be a carrier of any communicable disease. To establish this, he will be required to go through a medical checkup.

The applicant should be within the age limit for the prospective course and he should also have the desired academic credentials.

Usually, the applicants are required to fill the Form 16 and Form V 36 to get the permit. The applicants must make sure that they fill the form correctly.

The next step is the application according to the course that the applicant is going to pursue.

Application:

According to the course, the students require two forms of student permit. They are as followed:

College, University and Polytechnic

Since most of the international students apply to study in university, college or polytechnic, this is the most common form of student ‘s pass issued by the authority of Singapore. All the students except the students with Immigration Exemption Order have to obtain this permission. The best part about this form of the pass is that this makes the students eligible to study in foreign universities as well that have their campuses in Singapore.

It is important for the students to apply for the Student’s Pass 45 days before the start of the course. The latest that they can apply for this pass is 30 days before the start of course but not later than that. The applications are required to be submitted by SOLAR (Student’s Pass Online Application and Registration System that follows a definite procedure. Here is the procedure:

First Step

The first step involves the registration of the student in the SOLAR system by the concerned IHL. It is important that before the applicant submits their application, the IHL registers them on the website. The education provider or the institute is also required to provide the following information:

Details of the course, duration and the date of commencement.

Personal details of the student, their nationality and date of birth.

Providing these details to the authorities will generate a SOLAR application reference number.

Step 2:

The next step involves the student advancing with the procedure. The student must have the registration acknowledgement notice and also the SOLAR reference number. All the applicants must log in and fill the form accurately. They need the following details:

Passport details with the desired validity.

Family and background information of the student

Parent’s NRIC (National Registration Identity Card) number of the parents if they belong or have a connection with Singapore.

A recent passport sized photographs

Step 3:

When all this is done, the next step is the submission of Form 16 through the same profile provided in the SOLAR. The students should keep a copy of the form as a proof to be used in the future.

Processing and Fees

The students are charged a processing fee of $30 at the time of submission. The fee is to be paid online. Even if the application gets rejected, the fee is not refunded. Also, when the student receives the pass, they are required to pay an issuance fee of $60. The processing time varies from country to country from 5 to 10 working days. Months of July, August and September are when the new academic session starts. Therefore, the process might take longer during these months.

Things to remember:

The students whose applications are approved get an in-principle approval (IPA) letter by the ICA through the institute. If, because of the native country, the student requires a visa in Singapore, it is attached to the IPA letter.

The last stage of this entire procedure is a personal interview. The students are required to book their appointment online and receive a scheduled day and time. Once the applicants receive the date, they should adhere to these details.

Once the students arrive in Singapore, they should report to the Student’s Pass unit to complete the rest of the formalities.

Students with the Student’s Pass are allowed to work for a maximum of 16 hours per week during regular sessions. During vacations, they can work full-time.

Along with all this, the students are required to prove that they are financially sound enough to bear the expenses of staying in Singapore. According to the latest rules, the students should have tuition fee and $8500 at the time. if they do not have it, they need to provide documents of the sponsorship. The students should also have a statement of marks and other academic certificates from class 10.

2. Institutes of technical education

Singapore has many great technical institutes that offer the best students top-quality education in the field of technology. These colleges boast of great infrastructure and job opportunities. If a student applies to study in these prestigious colleges, then he needs a local sponsor. It is mandatory for an applicant of Student’s Pass to have a local sponsor to study in a technical college. Also, this sponsor should be more than 21 years of age and he should be a citizen of Singapore or a permanent resident of the country. The applicants are allowed to nominate their parents and relatives as their sponsor if they meet all the criteria. One should note that private companies and enterprises are not authorized to be a sponsor for the foreign students.

Applying:

The applicants need to file the application at least one month before the course actually commences. The first step is the student getting the education provider to issue the Registration Acknowledgement letter (RAL) according to the SOLAR+ system. Using the reference number given on the RAL, the applicant needs to log in on the respective website and fill the application forms. The applicants need to fill in the Form 16 on Student’s details and eV 103 on the parent.

In the last step of the process, the local sponsor of the applicant needs to login to SOLAR + to sponsor the application. Once this is done, the application needs to be submitted to ICA for processing. The benefactor will need to fill the forms V 39 S V 39 Q.

Processing and fees

The applicants need to attach a fee of $30 with the application submitted to the ICA. This fee is non-refundable even if the application gets rejected at the end of the process. Also, if the application gets approved, the applicant is required to pay an issuance fee of $60 to procure the Student’s Pass. It takes full five working days for the application to be processed. However, the process can take longer if the forms are not properly filled.

Things to remember:

The applicants should keep the original documents with him. The authorities may ask for them for verification purpose.

The documents should be in English or Mandarin. If not, the applicant is required to provide the authorized translations.

The ICA is authorized to enforce new laws for the process depending on the native country of the applicant. The applicants need to comply with all these laws.

The applicants should make sure that the forms are signed by him, parents and the local sponsor before submitting them.

Extension of the Student’s Pass

All the students studying in an institute that is enlisted in the list of Institutes of Higher Learning are eligible to get an extension of the Student’s Pass, but it is important that they are pursuing a full-time course in Singapore. An applicant receives the extension if:

The ongoing course is not yet completed and the applicant needs to re-appear for an exam.

The applicant wishes to pursue higher education in the country.

The applicant wishes to take up a job after the completion of the course.

Tourism and vacations

Medical Grounds

To get the extension, the students need to file in the application. Also, it is important that they file this application before their current term expires. Otherwise, there are higher chances of their application being rejected. The permissions for the extension are also granted through SOLAR. There are some mandatory documents that the applicants need to furnish in order to get the extension:

Current Student’s Pass card (Through form 17 A)

Valid Travel documents

Embarkation/Disembarkation Card (Through Forn 15A)

However, when the applicant wants to get an extension because he wants to work, he is required to submit additional documents.

Cancellation

When the course ends, the applicants receive a grace period of one week. Within this one week, the applicants need to register their passes for cancellation. Since 2008, the applicants have the luxury of cancelling their passes online. This service is called e-cancellation of SOLAR. However, is an applicant finds himself unable to complete this process online, he can always go to the authorized centers in the country and get the cancellation done. The documents required for cancellation are:

Travel document

Complete cancellation form

Student’s Pass

All the other cards provided to the applicant

Embarkation/Disembarkation card (Through Form 27 A)

Visa Denial

There are many reasons on the basis of which the application of a student can be rejected. If the application gets rejected, the students need to keep in mind that it is not an uncommon outcome and there is nothing to worry about. Any country can deny any student the visa if he fails to meet the criteria in any manner whatsoever. A visa is not denied permanently and the denial can be easily revoked if the correct procedure is followed. Here are some potential reasons for a visa application to be rejected:

Submission of fraudulent information or documents.

Submission of incomplete forms.

If there is any criminal record

If the authorities find out that the applicant was denied visa in the past due to some strong reason or if the applicant has broken any rules of immigration in any previous stay.

Applicant’s failure to show a strong intent or reason for the stay in the country.

Failure to how strong reasons for return after the completion of course.

If the native country has strenuous relations with the visiting country or if the native country has extremely volatile conditions.

If the applicant is a carrier of a communicable disease.

Failure to show financial stability.

Submission of a passport that is about to expire soon.

The authorities always inform an applicant about the denial of visa or student permit. In fact, the provisions under which the visa is denied are also discussed and informed. The applicants can re-apply for the visa. However, in some conditions, the applicants are exempted from doing so. If the reason for visa denial is something as serious as a security threat, fraudulent purpose or cheating, the applicant can be banned for life from applying for a visa. However, most of the denials take place because of mistakes in the form, incomplete set of documents and failure of other requirements. And since the reason for the denial is discussed, all that the student needs to do is apply again and not repeat the mistake that he made in the first attempt.

Sample Questions

The process of visa application ends with a personal interview. This interview takes place in the consulate, embassy or the immigration offices. The students should make sure that they take all the required documents with them while going for the interview. The students need to convince the officers of their intent and will to visit the country. Generally, the interview consists of questions from the following categories:

Plans after the completion of course

Choice of University

Academic capability

Financial status and sponsorship

Here are some sample questions that will help you in preparing for any forthcoming visa interview:

Plans for future

What are your plans for after the completion of the course?

Do you plan to study further or work in the pursuing nation?

Will you return to your country after the completion of the course?

Can you prove that you will definitely return after the completion of the course?

Choice of University

How many colleges had you applied to?

What do you know of the college in which you are going to study?

What do you know about the course structure?

Academics

Are you proficient in English? Your scores in TOEFL, IELTS?

Can I see your high school and other certificates?

How do you plan on dealing with the educational differences?

Financial status

What is your family’s income?

Who is going to sponsor your endeavour?

Will you be able to meet all the expenses of studying abroad?

Can I see your bank statement?

Can I see your parents’ tax returns?

The students should answer all these questions truthfully and to the best of their knowledge.

Tips for the interview:

This is the last step in this entire process. Most of the students lose their nerve at this step. They should keep in mind that they have crossed all the steps before this one and there is nothing to worry about. The officers ask fairly normal and simple questions to assess the reasons for the applicant to fly to the foreign nation. Here are a few tips that can help the applicants who tend to lose their sleep over this interview:

Work on the English Language skills

Most of the countries around the world including the top destinations for international students have English as their official as well as the most used language. Moreover, the interview for a visa also takes place in the English Language. Therefore, it is important for the applicants to improve their English language skills.

Good attitude during the visa interview

This is something that most of the applicants tend to miss out on. Having a proper attitude in the visa interview is of utmost importance. The applicants should dress formally and maintain a decent body language and answer all the questions with confidence.

Detailed knowledge about the course that you have chosen

It is obvious that every applicant will be asked in detail about the prospective course. Since pursuing this course is the sole reason for the applicant to visit the foreign country, therefore the officers expect detailed and articulate answers to every question about the course. The applicant should be ready to answer every question related to the course and explain the distinguishing features of the course to the officers and telling them how the course will be beneficial.

Always carry supplementary documents

The officials at the immigration office are always short on time. They have the responsibility of reviewing thousands of applications every day. So, make sure that you carry all the supplementary documents. These documents serve as proof and validate all the information that you provide.

Prove your attachment to the home country

Many countries around the world have very strict laws and rules to stop illegal immigration. The applicants must be able to convince the officials at the interview that they do not have any other intention to visit the foreign country than studying. The applicants must be able to convince the officials that there are more than enough reasons for them to return to their home country after the completion of the course. The officials should feel that you have sufficient ties and attachment with your home country.

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